Nagualist vs Sorcerer

Having spent all of my adult life on the path of Sorcery and Nagualism and having made a lot of mistakes along the way, I would like to share a few notions on the differences between Sorcery and Nagualism, from a pragmatical point of view.
I will quote some precepts from the books by Castaneda and I will assume that you are acquainted with the general terminology from his literary works.

I am speaking from directly validated experiences, not only on an academic or intellectual level.
Needless to say, what follows are only my (biased) subjective thoughts based on personal and transpersonal experiences. Nothing absolutely correct can be found herein.

Opinions and experiences always vary...


The goal?

"My benefactor was a sorcerer of great powers," he went on. "He was a warrior through and through. His will was indeed his most magnificent accomplishment. But a man can go still further than that; a man can learn to see. Upon learning to see he no longer needs to live like a warrior, nor be a sorcerer. Upon learning to see a man becomes everything by becoming nothing. He, so to speak, vanishes and yet he's there."

"I've told you already," he said. "Seeing is not sorcery. Yet one may easily confuse them, because a man who sees can learn, in no time at all, to manipulate an ally and may become a sorcerer. On the other hand, a man may learn certain techniques in order to command an ally and thus become a sorcerer, and yet he may never learn to see."
- From 'A Separate Reality

I chose the above quote for a particular reason. Don Juan, himself able to see the energy essence of all things, was indeed a warrior and sorcerer as well (according to the books by Castaneda).

Sorcery in this context translates to magical skills of assemblage point manipulation, acquiring an ally from the inorganic realm, and employing its energy and knowledge at will. All of these skills can be acquired by mastering the art of dreaming.

And the art of dreaming presented by Carlos Castaneda only deals with the astral level spirits or beings (limited and conditioned beings):
- the friendly inorganic beings (of whom the so-called dreaming emissary is a projection of),
- black hand death defiers (written about in 'The Art of Dreaming', one was labeled 'the tenant' and 'the woman in the church').

Nothing new thus far, right?
Well, what Carlitos does not share in his books is that these beings are low-astral level spirits, hardly as superbly conscious and powerful as he presents them.

I have already written about this subject elsewhere on this Blog, but let me restate a few things:

• They are low-astral level beings, which means that they are not free and have no regard for the true well-being of others not even when it serves them. 
• They are cold, self-serving, manipulating, and self-centered beings that are always on the hunt for more energy. 
• Their true state of consciousness is not high or deep enough to be self-sufficient or liberated and so they need energy from the outside, from all sorts of unsuspected beings who encounter them in dreaming.
• Since they are not free, they manipulate, exploit and deceive dreamers, if possible.
• They only care about power and energy (of others).
• If you let them take the initiative in dreaming (or in a waking state, via their projection as dreaming emissary), meaning, if you let them speak first, they can convince you of anything, hypnotizing you with their low-astral level (emotional and mental) energy, pulling you into their dream. It feels great but it yields no progress along the path to freedom, no progress at all, in my experiences.
• And if you really do master the art of dreaming, these astral beings can not really harm you and can, in fact, help you with their energy and information. 
• They can shift or move your focus of attention (your assemblage point) and firmly fix it anywhere, which is truly useful.
• They can inform you about pretty much anything you want to know, both in dreaming and in a waking state (via dreaming emissary), which is quite useful.
• They can help you see the essence of energy flow in the universes.

In short, sorcerers (or magicians, to use an alternative term) that don't let these spirits trick them, employ these spirits at will, commanding them to shift or move the assemblage point, to answer questions in dreaming or while awake, even to see the energy essence of everything...

...and that's all there is to it, I am afraid.

These skills are as exciting as they can get, but can not really bring help to attain Total Freedom.

Sorcerers that depend on these low-astral level spirits are by default limited by them. These spirits are not free and they only care about power and energy, hence they will never be free.

If we (dare to) follow this line of thought to the conclusion, we can see that sorcerers that bind themselves to these spirits can not progress on the Path to Freedom and will never be free, either.


Nagualism, on the other hand, aims at complete Freedom (and is not limited by low or high astral level beings).

Freedom in the context of Nagualism (as presented to me by a Maya Nagual) means freedom from dependence on anything or anyone, freedom from inner and outer oppression, conditioning and limitations (not merely freedom to retain awareness after death or to perceive all that is possible to - that is a domain of astral sorcery).

True Nagualism is transpersonally oriented, meaning, way above personal (physical, astral, or emotional and mental levels of existence) and bestows upon a dreamer completely different insights,
insights that can not be received from inorganic beings or dreaming emissary. These insights are absolute, perfect, eternal in nature. In short, they originate in the Nagual.


On a more personal note, after decades on the path of sorcery, meaning years and years not moving forward from the astral level dreaming, a Maya Lineage of Seers took me under its wings and helped me move on from limited practices of astral sorcery.

Maya Lineage of Nagualism I know seems to be a complete Path to Total Freedom. Mayans themselves are a testimony to that Freedom, as far as I can see: they are living far beyond the astral level of existence and are completely free from those astral beings (inorganic beings, black death defiers, demons, flyers, etc.). Their level of existence is a complete, total, and eternally free world, populated by a high number of free and immortal individuals. They still exist, far beyond this Earth and astral levels...

...and far beyond the reach of sorcery dreaming fueled by inorganic (astral) energy.

As far as dreaming practices are concerned, a dreamer of this Maya Lineage (and I am sure our Lineage is not the only one) doesn't have to deal with the aforementioned deceptive spirits AT ALL.

Maya Dreaming tasks are constructed in such a way, that a dreamer is guaranteed a safe and conducive environment for her/his learning: inner planes of the Kukulkan Temple, the Chichen Itza pyramid:

Chichen Itza, an entrance for dreamers of our Maya Lineage

Final remarks

So, to sum up, differences between a Sorcerer and a Nagualist, from my experiences, are as follows.

Sorcery (lineage of antiquity):

• aims at magical feats in dreaming, 
• its main goal is to perceive all that is possible, 
• it is after immortality,
• it advocates accumulation of energy and power, 
• it employs so-called magical passes, designed by black death defiers to generate dark power,
• depends on astral level spirits and their energy (inorganic beings),
• tolerates the manipulative and deceitful spirits and uses their energy and knowledge,
• is limited by these spirits as they are not free,
• limits itself to the personal level and can not attain true transpersonal (transcendental, perfect) levels of awareness, 
• can not lead to complete and total freedom,
• does provide a dreamer with a lot of energy/power and information.

Nagualism (a Maya Lineage):

• operates far beyond the astral level of existence,
• its main goal is total and complete freedom (of which immortality is a by-product),
• it integrates life energy and awareness energy,
• doesn't require inorganic energy for dreaming,
• offers Words and Movements of Power with the aim of accessing the Nagual body and integrating It into organic energy and vice versa,
• employs integration of organic energy into awareness,
• is guided and protected by perfect God-form, Kukulkan,
• its aim is the attainment of the transpersonal (above reason, above astral/emotional perception) or perfect, omnipresent, the absolute state of awareness - NAGUAL.

What Path are you on?

Types of spirits and beings

There is a lot of confusion around spirits that we encounter on our path to Freedom. Some are friendly (kind of), some are downright negative and present a real danger in dreaming (and, at the same time, an opportunity to grow), and some spirits are benevolent, helpful, and, for the lack of a better word, perfect.

In this blog post, spirits and beings will be listed as per their state of awareness. Some are really free and most of them are not free at all.

Freedom in this context means freedom from dependence on anything or anyone, freedom from inner and outer oppression, conditioning, and limitations.

Spirits or beings in this list are divided according to a simplified map of planes of existence they dwell in:
- low-astral level,
- high-astral level,
- beyond astral level or truly spiritual/transcendent/perfect/absolute.

Astral level (both lower and higher) in this context means the realm that is full of illusion, deceptive spirits, the struggle for power and energy, manipulation, delusions of grandeur, and astral glamour.

Dreamers caught in this reality lack the necessary depth of insight into a deeper, absolute reality, possess maybe a lot of energy but rather low self-awareness, and are indulging in overly emphasized emotional perception and accumulation of detailed mental information.

They are usually ungrounded and have great difficulties assuming full and complete responsibility for their own mess in dreaming and everyday life as well. They (might) excel at the astral level of dreaming which is supported by the dark energy of inorganic beings that are themselves limited and self-centered power-seeking spirits.

You might have made this connection on your own: apparently, the lineage of sorcery presented by Carlos Castaneda and taught by the respected Don Juan Matus mainly operates at that, astral, level.

Truly spiritual/transcendent/perfect/absolute (beyond astral level) in this context means realms where perfect beings dwell. There is no struggle for power or energy found there, for spirits that live and breathe there are completely free from any kind of mental, emotional, energy or physical limitations. They are truly and forever FREE and full of compassion, unconditional love and are always willing to assist anyone and contribute to those dreamers that desire total and complete Freedom.

On a more personal note, after decades of pointless struggle and dreaming in the astral realm following the teachings of Castaneda and respected Don Juan (and not really seeing that their lineage has been manipulated (not supported!) by low astral level dark beings called the black death defiers), I was accepted into a Maya Lineage that offers teachings completely above astral level.

This Maya Lineage (among others) teaches Nagualism that aims at complete Freedom, whereas Castaneda (among others) lineage teaches sorcery and aims at the accumulation of power/energy.
The difference is obvious, isn't it?

What do you think?


The spirits and beings

According to the simplified map of the state of awareness beings possess, they are:
- spirits of dead people,
- spirits of advanced dead people called black witches,
- low-astral level spirits of our ancestors,
- low-astral level spirits also called inorganic beings (by Castaneda),
- low-astral level spirits called black hand death defiers (again, Castaneda wrote about one of these spirits in the book "The Art of Dreaming"),

- higher-astral level spirits also called djinn or demons or ghouls (various cultures label them differently),
- higher-astral level beings, basically parasites, called the Flyers (by Castaneda),
The state of awareness of astral beings and spirits listed thus far is limited; they are not free, not free at all.

Spirits or beings that are, in fact, free (beyond the astral/mental level of existence):
- higher beings, perfect spiritual beings called Angels,
- higher beings, perfect spiritual or divine beings in various God-forms (demi-gods, goddesses, gods - we can find those in most cultures here on Earth),
- higher beings perfected through the path of Nagualism, completely free individuals, not incarnated here on Earth, living in total worlds, Maya seers, Maya Naguals,
- other higher-perfected spiritual beings (Masters of Wisdom, for example).


Details:

Spirits of dead people, spirits of ancestors - these are easy to handle in dreaming. They have low awareness and are limited by their attachments and aversions while some might be rather advanced (shaman ancestors, for example).

Black witches - these beings are more difficult to deal with. They have certain spiritual (meaning, beyond reason and astral level) experiences that make them more powerful. They are full of anger, hate, pain.

Low-astral level spirits are also called inorganic beings.
These beings are well known to a dreamer familiar with the work of Castaneda. Their state of consciousness has been presented in his books as superb and their powers likewise. The lineage Castaneda belongs to is heavily dependent on these beings and their energy, and it is still trying to move out of the low-astral level realms, it seems.

Viewing these beings from the outside of the Toltec lineage of sorcerers of antiquity (limited to mere low-astral level, meaning, full of illusion, greed for power, trading energy, etc.) and from a more unbiased standpoint, however, these beings are hardly superb in any way.

They are low-astral level beings, which means that they have little or no regard for the true well-being of others, they are cold, self-serving, manipulating, and self-centered beings that are always on the hunt for more energy. Their true state of consciousness is not high or deep enough to be self-sufficient or liberated and so they need energy from the outside, from all sorts of unsuspected beings.

Since they are not free, they really don't care about others. And if you let them take the initiative in dreaming, they can convince you of anything, hypnotizing you with their low-astral level (emotional and mental) energy, pulling you into their dream. It feels great but it yields no progress along the path to freedom, no progress at all, in my experiences.

Carlos Castaneda wrote extensively about these spirits and although he prises them quite a lot, the reality is that these inorganic spirits are NOT FREE and are only after energy and power, so they can not really help to a Nagualist on her/his way to Freedom.

They can, and do, however, support a dreamer in his/her astral dreaming travels, hence they have been perceived as friendly. For example, these astral spirits can supply energy for astral level dreaming, they provide information both in dreaming and in waking hours as well (through their projection called 'dreaming emissary').

"Whenever you interact with inorganic beings as a follower instead of a leader, you just hand over your energy to them without getting anything from them. It's a complete waste of time. You could literally keep having dreams like that for the rest of your life and not actually get enough inorganic energy from them to do anything, and nor would you actually learn anything either. It's like thinking that if you drink enough alcohol you will eventually become sober."
- John O'Neill

These inorganic spirits, low-astral level beings, however, are can be left behind for good as soon as a Nagualist (someone on the complete Path to Freedom) menages to advance out of the astral level of existence.

If you will, see also a blog post on the Astral Glamour - a serious problem, here >>


Low-astral level spirits called black hand death defiers.

Black death defier - just a drawing

These spirits are ice-cold, self-centered ego-maniacs driven by their relentless quest for power. Carlos Castaneda ended up as one of them since his whole lineage is heavily influenced by them and since he lacked the necessary depth of self-awareness (in other words, he did not progress beyond the astral (emotional) level of awareness in his life on Earth...and he is still trying to...).

That, of course, means that respected Don Juan Matus (Castaneda's teacher) was a part of the black death defiers' schemes as well. Their whole lineage, dating back several centuries (as per Castaneda books) was under the influence of these dark low-astral level beings.

The dark death defiers quest for power and energy is, of course, projected through Castaneda's books as well, since he was and still is one of them. It took me decades to detect what they do and how they do it! Really dark strategies they employ.
There is no respect, no compassion, and no freedom of choice in their lives and so they offer none to those blind and naive dreamers that happen to open up to them...

These low-astral level beings have got nothing to contribute to someone on the Path to Freedom, only troubles...
...AND, let's be frank, a perfect situation to wake up from!

The reality is that our own low-astral level delusions (quest for power, immortality, control over others, and indulgence in feeling and mental understanding, etc.) are only reflected by these spirits on the outside. In all honesty, they are not to blame, or as it is said:
don't blame the clowns if you keep visiting the circus.

I got rid of them, in dreaming, only after my Maya Nagual has helped me move on beyond the astral level of existence.

I have written a blog on the subject of Black death defiers: how to deal with them, here >>



Higher-astral level spirits also called djinn or demons or ghouls.

Paimon - just a drawing

These beings are way more powerful than all lower astral level beings combined, for most of them were Divine Celestial Angels once.

Most of these spirits were demoted, as it were, by the Church. Newer religions often degrade and demonize gods and spirits of previous traditions, and that's what happened to the beautiful Astarte, Goddess of fertility in the ancient Middle East - she "became" demon Astaroth, one of 72 spirits from Goetia, for example.

These spirits are mostly ex-angels, now Earthly-bound beings (meaning, they are connected to the negative side of human Earthly experiences) that are quite difficult to deal with. Not because they are evil but because their presence reflects and influences our own inner disharmonies (hate, fear, anger, greed, guilt, shame, jealousy, pain, etc.).

These spirits "stimulate" a dreamer's mental body, infusing it with messages, images that might indeed contribute to the overall progress of a Nagualist to complete freedom - IF and WHEN one wakes up enough and really really starts to deal with his/her own inner disharmonies. Until then, well, it can be a rough ride. For sure, these spirits are not to be taken lightly.

Again, I have really moved on from their influence, in dreaming, only after the Maya Nagual has helped me (along with other higher beings: angles and various god-forms).

That's one of the possible ways to be freed from them: call upon the even higher power, the Absolute power, Compassion, Unconditional Love, Peace. People left to their own personal devices will have hard times getting away from these spirits...

And the same goes for:


Higher-astral level beings, basically parasites, called the Flyers.
Castaneda has spoken about these troublemakers and that indeed they are: making troubles. I have encountered several of them and nothing really worked permanently, they kept on coming for more.
I tried stopping the internal dialogue, entering samadhi at will, visiting the worlds in dreaming that are beyond the reach of these parasites, etc...to no avail.

As they are higher-astral level beings, they are more advanced in comparison with the "friendly" spirits mentioned above and so it is harder to handle them.

What to do, then?

Well, in my case, I first had to acknowledge their existence and recognize them. Their influence is indeed negative, they take energy and at the same time trigger disharmonies inside of a dreamer.

After I isolated their presence (there were three of them), I saw that I can not do much on my own,
they were too clever and too fast for me. So I turned for help in the opposite direction, beyond the astral level of existence.
I called for help, for specific help, the highest-ranking angel, the chief of the fiery ones (in Hebrew called Seraphim), the one angel named Seraphiel, the Prince of Peace. He responded immediately and did his magic.....and the Flyers can not reach me anymore, neither in dreaming nor in waking state.

The truth is that it is difficult if not impossible to move beyond the astral level of existence and certain beings that dwell therein, in dreaming, without help from above.

And the true Nagualism (not the astral level one, i.e. the dark-influenced Castaneda lineage), the one Incas and Mayans are on, integrates Higher beings.

These beings are numerous and are perfect, free, omniscient, omnipotent and they want nothing in return for their help. They are not some power-hungry self-centered spirits from the astral level (Castaneda admired so much) but truly Spiritual and Unconditionally Loving Perfect Beings.

Let us take a look at them. First, there are angels:


Higher beings, perfect spiritual beings called Angels

There are various levels of these Perfected Beings, who dwell in higher realities, far beyond the reach of little drama queens from the astral level.

In dreaming, I have worked with Archangel Gabriel and Seraphiel. They are so powerful that the only body that can withstand their presence is the Nagual body (or the Light Body, the Spiritual body). Lower bodies (mental, astral, etheric and physical) can not cope with their high vibration...

...and neither can spirits from lower or higher astral level.

In my opinion and indeed in my experiences, there is no way (known to me) that can enable one to really progress beyond astral level (and out of the limitation of the astral level sorcery lineages, i.e. the one Castaneda wrote about) and beyond the "friendly" manipulators, and beyond black death defiers and demons and flyers ...

...APART from opening up more and embracing higher power, and upgrading perception to integrate beings from Above, angles and also:



Higher beings, perfect spiritual beings in various God-forms (demi-gods, goddesses, gods - we can find those in most cultures here on Earth).
In our Maya Lineage, the most important God-form is The Feathered Serpent, Kukulkan, known in other advanced cultures as well::

"...The Plumed or Feathered Serpent was a prominent supernatural entity or deity, found in many Mesoamerican religions.

Kukulkan / Viracocha / Quetzalcoatl 

It or he was called Viracocha in the Inca and earlier cultures of Peru and Bolivia, Quetzalcoatl among the Aztecs, Kukulkan by the Yucatec Maya, and Gucumatz and Tohil among the K'iche' Maya, for example.

The double symbolism used in its name is considered allegoric to the dual nature of the deity or person, where being feathered represents its divine nature or ability to fly to reach the skies and being a serpent represents its human nature or ability to creep on the ground among other animals of the Earth, a dualism very common in Mesoamerican deities.

...

Quetzalcoatl was a bringer of knowledge, the inventor of books, and associated with the planet Venus. And the corresponding Mayan god Kukulkan was rare in the Classic era Maya civilization. However, in the Popol Vuh, the K'iche' Feathered Serpent god Tepeu Gucumatz is the creator of the cosmos.

...

So, it could be that the Plumed/Feathered Serpent concept is one that represents a being, person or people of a very high state of mental consciousness.

That the Plumed and Feathered Serpent story is found in various parts of South and Central America, as well as Mexico, is, of course, intriguing, especially if the varied groups involved were not in contact with each other..."
(Foerstet B., 2016; Plumed Serpent: Ancient Bearded Gods Of The Americas)


There is a total world, populated by advanced Mayans, the Nagual world, where advanced practices of dreaming, shape-shifting, and non-being (and other skillful means, not known to me) are being taught and practiced, and where the Maya Naguals and the Maya Creator God, Kukulkan, dwell.

That world can be accessed only by those dreamers who have already mastered the 7th Mayan tasks of dreaming and can, therefore, fully operate in their Light or Nagual body, which has integrated enough organic energy to withstand the high vibration there. That complete world is called The Maya Jade World.

My Maya Nagual has taken me there a few times, only in the jaguar form (as that form is more suitable). I can enter the Jade World on my own now but, to be honest, rarely do I manifest the necessary will and openness to go there...

That world is far beyond the astral level and its beings and can initially be entered only with substantial help from the Maya. The skill of the astral level dreaming (i.e. the one Castaneda wrote about), supported by his "friendly" inorganic beings and black death defiers, is not enough to enter this level of existence. Inorganic energy is simply not enough.

There is no struggle for power there, no trading, meaning, everything there is shared for free, beings there do not lie, they are loving, immortal, open and warm beings, bend on the compassionate offering of help to everyone that happens to visit their perfect and eternally liberated world (yes, it is possible to visit that world, even for those that are not Maya).

The Kukulkan himself is present there from time to time and shares his wisdom, love, knowledge, and magic freely. He is a perfected being, liberated forever, free from lower mental, astral (emotional), etheric and physical limitations of human and other conditioned beings and spirits.
His presence is so powerful, enlightened and purifying that even the Nagual dreaming body has difficulties absorbing the love and wisdom.

Once in direct contact with the God-form Kukulkan, a dreamer's perception is transformed completely (well, my was) and all astral level dreaming and sorcery are seen as they are: more or less ego-fueled power-driven endeavor (speaking about my experiences here) and just a stage on the path to complete Freedom.


Higher beings perfected through the path of Nagualism, completely free individuals, not incarnated here on Earth, living in total worlds: the Maya Naguals. 
I can not share much about these beings since I only "know" two, my Maya Nagual, named Maytri-pta (he said it is ok to share his name here) and the Nagual woman, A.

From what I have gathered thus far, these Nagual beings, I encountered five thus far, are way beyond even what well-respected Don Juan has attained.

They are masters of healing, dreaming, manifestation, shape-shifting, and loving-kindness - masters of the third attention (as per Don Juan's terminology). And they are immortal and free, way and far beyond the astral level beings and Naguals from sorcery lineages that operate at that level.

There is a Maya social structure, they have leaders, Naguals, who take gentle care of their huge cities manifested in dreaming as total worlds (The Maya Golden City is or was one of those, see my blog post here >>). This is also seen in the revealed history of the Maya people: their rich culture flourished in separate dynasties, huge city-states, each under a different Maya king/priest.

There are various levels of the Maya system or levels of existence, according to personal and transpersonal attainment. The Maya dreaming tasks reflect those levels, in my opinion.

Strangely enough, my Maya Nagual seems indifferent to what I do with his gifts and support. He is fully aware of what I write here for example, even now, but he doesn't say much (it seems that to write about Maya is enough...).
I don't know, maybe in the future, this will change. That's one of the perks of being free, it seems: complete unpredictability.


Other higher perfected spiritual beings (Masters of Wisdom, for example).
When I think about it, it seems awfully vain to think that only Maya and Maya Naguals abide at the top of the human and non-human evolution and that only Nagualism has all the answers.

Nagualism might be close to my heart, but that in no way suggests that it is the only correct Path to Freedom. In fact, what my Maya Nagual has gifted me with thus far (the art of non-being, for example) is very much in harmony with what ancient Mahamudra and Dzogchen Masters teach.

And the loving-kindness, compassion, love, respect of others, happiness, and service to others - all of that has been, is and will be what truly spiritual (not astrally driven) Masters of Wisdom shine so brightly.



Conclusion

As we can see, there are lots of spirits and beings that can be encountered in dreaming. For someone on the Path to Complete freedom (a Nagualist, not sorcerer or magician), astral beings and all the magical feats that can be attained in dreaming, are only steps to perfection and Freedom.

And what that perfection encompasses depends on the individual and her/his freedom of choice. For me, for example, meddling with the lower-astral level beings (the "friendly" ones, or the dark ones) and residing in their level of existence, well, for me that is not freedom...

...but for someone else, that might be real and true freedom.
I can respect that.

Therefore:
may all sentient beings attain happiness and freedom according to their will.

:)

Maya Path to Freedom: Q and A

In this blog post, you can read relevant questions and answers about the Maya Lineage and their teachings presented on this Blog.
Most questions come from a fellow seer that will remain anonymous. She is kind and respectful, and I am grateful to have met her.

And, I feel it is necessary to state that my Maya Nagual cares not at all about this Blog or my sharing. It is just my tendency to share, that's all (withholding 97% of the insights)...

Here we go:


Q:
How did you come to be interested in this subject (sorcery, shamanism, Castaneda)? Is there something specific you are working on and looking for?

A:
Yes, I am into Nagualism, have been for decades.
I am currently working on a website to share some of my experiences with the Maya Lineage of Seers.

Here are some details:
Maya Lineage I belong to differs considerably from the Don Juan/Castaneda Lineage.
It is a long story but in short, there is little focus (none actually!) on the low astral inorganic beings and their energy (which is quite important in their Lineage, we can see that from the Castaneda books).

Stages of learning dreaming are also different, shape-shifting takes the main place, Maya 'god forms'
are integrated into the development of awareness, organic energy is also very important, there is no trace of depending on the energy of astral beings, death defiers have no saying in Maya Lineage at all, etc...
It is different, no doubt there. In my opinion.

The aim is the same: freedom. Not immortality by itself, only freedom.
Black death defiers are also immortal, but not free at all as they dwell only at the lower astral level of awareness.


Q:
Do you also do dreaming practice? Where have you met your Nagual, a Maya seer? In person?
Maya god-form?

A:
Yes, I do dreaming practice.
Mostly I do the dreaming awake (especially after "the form" has left) and W.I.LD., of course.

I also work with inorganic spirits, but not in the Carlos Castaneda (CC) style. Never did like his approach, too much indulgence for my taste. And the state he ended up in (a black death defier), well, not really my goal. I work with lower astral beings (the ones Castaneda wrote about), higher astral beings (known also as "demons"), and also with angles and various god-forms.

Maya God-form I know and work with is Kukulkan, the Feathered Serpent,
integration of "spiritual" awareness and organic reality (Underground as Maya call it).

No, I've never met my Maya Nagual in physical form, only in dreaming and meditation.
The teachings are real, very real, and can be validated even physically.

This Lineage (there are other Maya Lineages, to be sure) is under the wing of Maya "god-form" Kukulkan, the Feathered Serpent, and the main Temple is at Chichen Itza, the Kukulkan Temple.

If you will, go visit the Temple in your dreaming and see if you can get in, so to speak.

Or, connect with a jaguar in your dreaming, that's your best bet. Jaguars (ordinary and the black ones) in dreaming are Maya dreamers, for the most part. Just be sure to check and recheck, lest you get screwed by some low-level astral inorganic being.

There are three inner levels one can access in the Kukulkan Temple, leading to total Maya worlds where a dreamer can learn all there is to learn about Maya Path to Freedom. See posts on the Blog.


Q:
Is there a formal group of sorcerers involved in the Maya Lineage? Can you tell me more about Maya as you experience them?

A:
Yes, there is a group, an extended family even, that works together. Maya have figured it all out eons ago and they periodically manifest their culture on this planet (and on other planets throughout the multiverse), always seeking the right environment (lots of water underground).

They are true Seers, magicians, sorcerers, healers, shape-shifters, men and women of wisdom and knowledge. And they are peaceful...until they are provoked.

Maya are immortal, truly free, and self-sufficient...
...they need nothing from anyone or anything as they are Free.

The hallmark of Maya tradition is the integration of pure spiritual consciousness and organic energy. This can be seen in their focus on the Underworld, or in modern terms, the dense, dark, and powerful aspects of the overall consciousness (which most of us would rather not face and integrate; in modern times Karl Jung has explored that part of the human psyche...).

And they are way beyond the low-level astral beings ('friendly' inorganic beings Castaneda loved so much) and beyond other astral beings as well (black death defiers, flyers/parasites, 'demons', etc...).

Q:
Two things I'd like to ask you, if I may.
- How is organic energy linked to God-forms? Aren't gods also inorganic?
- Can you tell me more about the place where the Giant Trees are?

A:
Organic or material is not linked to the transpersonal/spiritual/god-forms, at first glance.
God-forms are spiritual, material is, well, material.

When one enters certain paths (i.e. Maya path, Tantric path, etc...) which integrate the material into the spiritual, it turns out that material or organic is only an aspect of spiritual...

...and after experiences manifest, the integration of organic energy into spiritual awareness makes things more real, down-to-earth, more powerful and progress quicker and more thorough.

Maya excel at that integration. Their rituals all revolve around the integration of light and darkness, as it were.

Of course, god-forms are inorganic (not material), too. But only certain paths integrate organic/material/"underground" even into spiritual development.
Kukulkan is both, spiritual and material, light and dark, underground and divine.
Way beyond low astral level inorganic beings the Don Juan and Castaneda lineages depend upon.

Looking at the Castaneda lineage, inorganic energy is what they rely on. It is a tricky business as any given inorganic being is not spiritual (perfect, free, omnipresent) by default. And
in the case of Castaneda lineage, inorganic beings are in fact low astral spirits, rather far away from any kind of real spiritual (perfect, enlightened, free, omnipresent) awareness.

Integrating darkness into light is the fastest path, in my experience.
And one can really appreciate stars only when it is dark.

The Giant Trees realm is a place that exists in a specific position of AP. There Don Juan and some of his party dwell, amongst others. It is a safe place from black death defiers, flyers, demons, etc...

One can transform his/her dreaming body into a tree there, thus stabilizing awareness without any astral level beings intrusion.
It is a very safe place.

Ask your ally to take you there in dreaming. It worked for me, and it is easy.

Q:
If someone starts to worship an inorganic being form is that spiritual? 

If you want to call worshiping low astral level being (akin to any soul of a dead human) spiritual, that's just fine.

To me, true spiritual beings are not manipulative, conditioned, or limited in any way.
An inorganic being in this context is any being that has currently got no physical body. And not having a physical body doesn't mean that being is spiritual or self-realized or perfected.
Spiritual here translates to completely free awareness, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, unconditional compassion and love, respect and caring.

It is obvious that most beings or spirits dreamers come in contact with are not really like that. Most beings a dreamer encounters in dreaming just want to screw him/her for some energy.

That is not spiritual, as I perceive it. That is just commerce.


Q:
Why is there a difference in worshiping a Maya god form vs an inorganic being (IB) form of another kind? (as far as this organic integration is concerned)

A:
If you want to come into contact with, say, Kukulkan, you will have to open up a whole lot more. IB Castaneda introduced are just low-level astral spirits, not at all liberated or perfected as god-forms are.

If you want to integrate organic energy into your awareness, you will have to open up to your own dark side and embrace everything, your human form, too...
...and all that comes with it: desires, low emotions, distress, illnesses, body fluids, etc... AND integrate all of that onto your spiritual path.

And that's exactly what the Maya were doing. Just look into their ball games...


Q:
Is Christianity then doing the same thing? Integrating organic energy?

A:
No, not even by far. They are still stuck in the denial. It is obvious that their priests do not handle their bodies or sexual energy (just run a search for Christianity sex abuses). Even more, their leader, the current pope, publicly proclaimed that Satan is to blame for all the sex offenses around the world. Clearly, they have not integrated any of the organic sides of energy onto their path. They would have to assume responsibility for all their abuses, which will not happen, of course.

No, while Jesus was indeed a genuine spiritual master, the church is a joke, in my opinion.

Q:
Thank you for your answers. I understand there is a difference between the Maya god-forms and the Castaneda inorganic beings. But I do not understand how an inorganic - deity/god - links to integrating organic energy.

Is it then because of what you describe here how working with those god-forms forces us to look at the most organic aspects of ourselves? (desire, illnesses, etc).
What is this system's approach to illnesses?

A:
Yes, working with certain god-forms opens up a whole new area of exploration.

Human consciousness has so much to offer and ignoring, avoiding, or suppressing the dark side of ourselves tends to limit the reach of our awareness, especially in dreaming.

If this happens (not dealing with our own dark side), things tend to go strange. Castaneda is an example of that, isn't he?
The Blue scout incident is a glaring example of how things can go wrong.

Opening up to our dark side is not just the Maya system, lots of other systems embrace the same approach, say Tantra, Vajrayana, authentic Kabbalah, etc...
None of these systems deny ego, desires, passions, body fluids, etc...

The dark side or as Maya say, the Underground, in this context translates to death, ego, negative emotions, attachments, aversions, illusions, ignorance, indulgence, aggression, pride, etc...
Lots of energy is stored in the dark places of our awareness!

Working with "darker" god-forms tends to bring up these darker components of ourselves. When you deal with the dark, the dark gets into you, as it were...
...and when you come out of the dark on the other side, well, you are free and have so much energy at your disposal.
Yes?

Denying or ignoring these dark things in ourselves only brings troubles, in the long run.
Illness always has a cause and bringing illnesses and their causes on our path are important, yes.


Q:
Christianity... of course I am not going to waste time thinking about idiots. But some Christians are sorcerers they just approach things from a different angle. 
Angels, for example, are also inorganic beings. So I was wondering where this would fit into the system you speak of.

A:
Yes, angels are also inorganic beings (by the way, how come Castaneda did not work with them?) and much higher on the evolution ladder than mere dead humans or Castaneda's inorganic or any other low astral level beings.

Working with angels (Gabriel, Seraphiel, Metatron, etc...) can bring so much into the awareness of a dreamer, no doubts there.

I am certain that many aspirants in Christianity are really advanced, yes.

In short, as you so eloquently put it, "...working with those god-forms forces us to look at the most organic aspects of ourselves...", yes.
There is so much energy stored in there, in these dark organic aspects of our overall existence. So much.

One can advance without ever really looking into these darker things, of course, but it takes so much longer and it isn't really thorough, is it?

And Maya were and still are masters of being thorough.

Inorganic beings speak

There are many different kinds of non-physical entities or inorganic beings. In this blog post I will focus on two types that are quite well known:

• low astral level entities and
• higher astral level entities, called djinn or demons.

The low astral level entities

To a dreamer familiar with the work of Castaneda these beings are well known. Their state of consciousness has been presented as superb and their powers likewise. The lineage Castaneda belongs to is heavily dependent on these beings and their energy, it seems.

Viewing these beings from the outside of the lineage of sorcerers of antiquity and from a more unbiased standpoint, however, these beings are hardly superb in any way.

They are low-level astral beings, which means that they have little or no regard for the true well-being of others, they are self-serving, manipulating, and self-centered beings that are always on the hunt for more energy. Their true state of consciousness is not high or deep enough to be self-sufficient or liberated and so they need energy from the outside.

But let us listen to the words of such entities, through the voice of a dreaming emissary.

My first contact with this kind of inorganic beings happened at least 15 years ago. It was in a lucid dream where I was approached by some unknown entity that did not reveal its true form to me but remaining "behind", kept talking to me, persistently trying to convince me that it was a "lucid dreaming master". Now I know it was a dreaming emissary, trying to sell whatever it was selling at the time.

Fast-forward to the present. 

Now, the dreaming emissary is still a part of my awareness but the picture is completely different. After traveling to that realm lots of times and integrating dreaming attention into everyday awareness (and vice versa), the voice of dreaming emissary is always available, including the waking hours.

I used to talk to the dreaming emissary a lot but after entering the Maya Lineage and receiving teachings directly from a Maya Seer, things changed considerably. The exchange below reflects that somewhat.

In one of such sessions, I first calmed down, bringing the internal chat almost to a full stop and called the emissary. After a familiar slight change in perception and feeling, I heard:

Yes, I am here.

I never really trusted these beings, so I learned to check who and what I am talking to every single time, in dreaming and during waking hours as well:

Are you an inorganic being?
Yes, I am.

Are you a demon or dark djinn?
No and no.

Are you an angel?
No.

Are you a black death defier?
No.
(at least twice thus far, once in dreaming and once in waking hours, the dreaming emissary just withdrew and a more powerful dark death defier took over its part in our dialogue. So I remain alert.)

Are you a being from the realm nek-tsha?
Yes.

Are you a dreaming emissary?
Indeed I am.

OK. You are not to speak unless spoken to.
You are only to answer my questions with short and clear answers.
OK?
Yes.

You are not to comment on my thoughts or my state of awareness neither here nor in dreaming, ever!
OK?
Yes.

You will never initiate a conversation with me, ever!
OK?
Yes.

Also, you will never ever shift or move my assemblage point without me commanding you to.
Do I make myself crystal clear?
Yes.

(these beings are manipulative and self-serving, and being low-level astral beings, they really don't care about others. And if you let them take the initiative, they can convince you of anything, hypnotizing you with their astral energy. It feels great but it yields no progress along the path to freedom, no progress at all, in my experiences)

If you test my resolve, you know what I am completely willing to do, right?
Yes (its voice was meek).
You will voice your intent to never ever contact me again and to never ever visit my realm again.

Yes. So keep your peace until I ask you for something.
<silence>

OK. Tell me exactly who you are and what is your relationship with me.

After a while I hear:
I am impersonal energy projected into your awareness from a universe outside of your own.
Our relationship with you is based on mutual benefits. We provide you with energy and knowledge and you provide us with your awareness.

Me: Why are you referring to yourself as "I" and "us"?

Because I am just an impersonal force, backed up with many of us. When you visit our realm, there is always one of us there to greet you, a separate being if you will, but as a dreaming emissary, I am just a voice of many.

Me: How would you describe yourselves?

Stationary beings, powerful and willing to share knowledge and energy.

Me: Do you lie?
<silence>
After a while:

In certain circumstances, I do not say the whole truth as it would overwhelm you.

(yeah right, I thought. LOL)

Me: Are you aware of your position as a low-level astral being?
Yes, of course.

Me: So, you are aware that there are more evolved beings out there?
Yes.

Me: You trap dreamers in your world?
No. We can not trap or force anyone to stay with us. Everyone that is staying with us is here because they choose to.

Me: But you do try to convince dreamers and other beings that it is great to stay with you?
Yes, it is great to live here.

(there was interference from my apartment at that point. I continued some 5 mins later)

Me: Yes, I understand, I said.

Me: So tell me about those higher inorganic beings you know.

You call them dark djinn or demons. They are more powerful than us because they integrate elemental Earthly energy into their awareness.


Higher astral level beings

Paimon

At this point, a notable change occurred in my perception. As the dialogue continued, the answers were sharper, more direct and the energy present was more powerful. 

As it did in some situations before, the dreaming emissary just withdrew and a more potent spirit took its place in our conversation. In this case, it was a powerful spirit called Paimon.

I have had a long relationship with this spirit (from Goetia operations) so there was an air of familiarity in his presence.

Our exchange continued as follows:

Paimon:
You know what I speak about.

Me:
Indeed I do.
Why did you jump in like this?

Paimon:
I wanted to contribute to the conversation and to the clarity of the subject of, what you call, inorganic beings.

Me:
OK, now tell me what is your relationship to the lower IBs from the nek-tsha and what is your relationship with me.

Paimon:
I have no relationship with your dreaming emissary or with any of the spirits there. I reside far beyond their reach.

With you, I have a relationship that benefits you, mostly. I need none of your energy, your awareness is limited and your power likewise.

I am in contact with you because you first summoned me to work in other operations.

Me:
How does our contact benefit me, in your opinion?

Paimon:
I contribute to your mental body, bringing out your emotional and mental disharmonies. That way, you have more energy at your disposal and you can progress faster.

Every time you contact me, I help you with a boost of mental or higher astral energy that enables you to advance faster...
...if and when you manage to process your inner disharmonies.

After a while he continued:
There are higher beings in existence and you have to let go of my help, sooner or later, if you want to go beyond the astral level of existence.

Nothing new, I thought to myself, out loud I said:

What is the trick, how can I do that? And, what do you get out of our cooperation?

Paimon:
Two things you can do:
1. Enter samadhi as much as possible (stopping internal chat is not enough).
2. Recognize your own limitations, your own self-importance, and stop believing you are in any way advanced being.

Ouch.

He continued:
What I get from our cooperation is beyond your capacity to give me. You are, just as I am, influenced by a higher or the highest power and that is what contributes to me.

Me:
You mean, God?

Paimon:
The Source of Illumination, yes. For you, it is God. For me, not so much.

Me:
Tell me about the integration of dark energy, organic energy.

Paimon:
It is a dangerous endeavor, to say the least. That's why most humans don't even know about our existence, for we are Earth-bound, and by higher-order combine or integrate most dense (dark, negative, from your point of view) energies from your Earthly existence with the Angelic awareness.
That means that when you contact me, both are stimulated.
And herein lies the danger: you can become an egomaniac, self-serving idiot that can not tell the difference between good and bad.

Me:
<silence>
I thought to myself, he is right, there were times when I really believed I was at the top of the world.
The Maya seers helped me to get off the self-created throne.

Paimon, he read my thoughts, of course:
Exactly.
Spirits like me are not evil, bad, or anything of that sort. We are not self-greedy spirits like your friends from the low astral realm.
There are others, of course, predatory spirits in nature and posed to manipulate your mental, not only astral, energy.

Me:
Black death defiers?

Paimon:
No. Those are low-level astral beings easy to avoid.

Me:
Who then?

Paimon:
Parasites from the higher astral level of existence, you know them by the name Flyers, parasites.

Me:
Yes. How to get away from them?

Paimon:
You can't, not on your own. You need help from above, which you are getting.

I understood that he meant the help I am receiving from my Maya lineage.

It was here that our exchange stopped. I had no more energy to spare and no more questions to ask. Paimon, one of my favorite spirits, a truly friendly spirit (as we can see in our exchange) has left after I gave him a license to depart.

That was it.


Conclusion

Low astral level beings and higher-level astral beings are real, they are not a figment of my or your imagination, and neither are inner disharmonies that attract these astral beings.

What to do?

Well, indulgence in feeling great, and addiction to low astral (emotional) and higher astral (mental) energy is serious obstacle.

One-pointedness, sincerity, and the company of truly spiritual beings (Angels, various god-forms, true Masters of Wisdom)  - all of that is a path that goes on and on, all the way to complete freedom...

...exactly what Maya have attained.

Kukulkan Temple

A word of caution:
Paimon and some other "demons" (not a term I would use with Him as He is not evil or negative at all!) are mostly friendly (when you learn how to control them) but their mere presence can disorient you in so many ways nonetheless.

I encourage you, dear visitor, to NOT indulge in working with these spirits unless you are already way beyond the reach of the low astral level beings (beyond the realm Castaneda has trapped himself in, for example, and beyond the reach of the spirits that dwell therein).

There are many ways to learn how to handle these spirits.
Good luck!

Astral Glamour - a serious problem

In many years on the path of Nagualism, I have observed something interesting: a tendency to indulge in the sweet-sugar-new-age bull shit attraction of self-created illusory phenomena.

What am I talking about?

I am talking about the lack of clear and sincere insight into Reality; about attachments to the false and flashy ideas about things as some individuals would love them to appear instead of seeing them as they really are.

I am talking about indulgence in the glamour of lower astral (emotional and energy) realm (where lower elemental spirits, souls of dead people, "friendly" inorganic beings, dark death defiers, demons, etc... reside) and illusions created within the minds of those who lack the ability to face the Reality as it Really is.

In practice, these tendencies manifest as self-delusion about the importance of certain inorganic beings or assumptions about contacts with god-forms or other powerful spirits and deities in dreaming or meditation.

Craving for power, immortality and instant magical movements of the focus of perception is what might obstruct a lot of dreamers, I observe.

Emotional perception or focusing primarily on sensations and/or mental understanding is seriously limited and flawed - it yields no spiritual attainment.

One can not feel or astrally/emotionally sense truly spiritual Beings (the Kukulkan, for example) and the same goes for mental masturbation (tons of info, understanding, asking and receiving answers, analyzing, remembering, etc.). Not even in million years can a mental level bring spiritual attainments.

The astral sense is limited and inherently flawed. And a dreamer has to work really hard to overcome that astral trap or s/he might end up as a permanent resident of some low astral realm (like Castaneda did).

Glamour, in its turn, veils and hides the truth behind the fogs and mists of feeling and emotional reaction; it is of unique and terrible potency, owing to the strength of human nature to
identify itself with the astral nature and to the vital nature of conscious and sentient response itself. As you know and have been taught, glamour can only be dissipated by the inflow of
clear, directed light; this is true of the life of the individual or of humanity as a whole.
-  Glamour - A World Problem, p. 185

That is rather well said, in my opinion. And the "clear, direct light" mentioned above cannot, it never has and it never will come from the astral beings, whether the friendly ones or the dark ones.


"Mental illusion when intensified by desire, occurring on the astral plane. (Emotional attachment to forms - distracts attention away from reality.) Glamour has been likened to a mist or fog in which the aspirant wanders and which distorts all that he sees and contacts, preventing him from ever seeing life truly or clearly or the conditions surrounding him as they essentially are... 
He is deceived by the appearance and forgets that which the appearance veils. The emanatory astral reactions which each human being initiates ever surround him and through this fog and mist he looks out upon a distorted world."

One more notion from Alice A. Bailey:

Illusion: Mental fixation upon an idea - exclusive of the whole thus not seen in its reality - leads to misinterpretation of the phenomenal world. 
An illusion is the power of some mental thought-forms, of some ideal, and some concept - sensed, grasped and interpreted in mental form - to dominate the mental processes of the individual or of the race and consequently to produce the limitation of the individual or group expression.


A good book that deals with the astral glamour problem has been written years ago and is still quite relevant (quotes above are from that book):

Glamour - A World Problem, a book by Alice A. Bailey and her Master, can be purchased here >>

Limitation of astral inorganic beings

"We want you!"
The motto of the "friendly" inorganic beings

"Dreamers, whether they like it or not, in their dreaming seek associations with other beings. This may come to you as a shock, but dreamers automatically seek groups of beings, nexuses of inorganic beings in this case.

The thing you must bear in mind from now on is that inorganic beings with their superb consciousness exert a tremendous pull over dreamers and can easily transport them into worlds beyond description."
- Carlos Casteneda: The Art Of Dreaming

There are several issues with the above statements, in my experience.

Inorganic beings, the "friendly" ones, play a major role in the Castaneda's lineage, obviously. While those low-level astral entities do have the ability to shift or even move the assemblage point (AP) of a dreamer, I cannot really assert they have superb consciousness. Why do you think their realm is so slow and why are they always after the awareness and energy of others? Well, because their astral consciousness is limited and elementary. Nothing superbly deep there.

They are master manipulators, yes, but that's about it. When a dreamer is awake and self-aware enough, their hypnotic influence is futile. They really can't do anything if one is self-aware enough.

In dreaming that deeper self-awareness is manifested as an ability to move around on our own and especially to shift and/or move the assemblage point at will. When a dreamer is able to perform these basic maneuvers, the inorganic beings Castaneda fell prey to (recall the "blue scout" incident?), are out of the picture.

Furthermore, human beings in general and dreamers in particular, well, we do have free will! So, in my experience, there is no predetermined fate for dreamers. I certainly don't actively seek association with other beings, the astral entities being quite off my list. Astral level beings have quite limited awareness, they are self-centered and are depending heavily on the energy from others. Who in his right mind would want their company?

As wise and powerful as Don Juan was, his lineage depended (and still does?) heavily upon these low astral level beings. It is quite understandable that in his lineage those astral beings are described as having superb consciousness. That's their perspective which has been presented to them by previous generations of dreamers. Besides, we do not really know what exactly Don Juan taught, what we know is what Castaneda wrote. And his perspective was quite fogged by the astral energy and indulgence.
From a wider perspective, however, these inorganic beings are only low astral entities and their realm is the closest to ours, meaning, there are not so advanced beings.

Moreover, Don Juan's lineage was (is?) under the strong influence of the so-called dark death defiers, another kind of astral level beings. Those beings are not friendly at all, and all they want is the energy from others. Why? Because they are still limited by their astral level awareness, meaning, full of glamour, self-serving mentality, manipulative emotional attitude towards other beings, the self-centered perception of the reality, etc...

There are, on the other hand, quite advanced beings out there, beings that seek energy from no one and manipulate no one.

One has to raise his awareness beyond the astral dimensions to encounter them and to learn from them, however.

And here enters the Maya Path to Freedom which is not based upon the energy of "friendly" inorganic beings, but on the faster, the deeper and non-manipulative presence of Maya "god-forms"...
...and thus on the ever-increasing self-awareness.

Jaguar, one of the main Maya Totem Animals